Gas shortage raises Egyptians' anger at government

Sat, 02/20/2010 - 03:44 EDT - AP

CAIRO (AP) -- It's something Egyptians rely on daily: the "ambooba," the steel canister of government-subsidized cooking and heating gas, hooked to the stove or water heater in the cramped homes of nearly everyone in this country's large population of poor....

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AP - It's something Egyptians rely on daily: the "ambooba," the steel canister of government-subsidized cooking and heating gas, hooked to the stove or water heater in the cramped homes of nearly everyone in this country's large population of poor.

Security forces backed by bulldozers moved in Wednesday on two huge protest camps set up in Cairo by supporters of Egypt's ousted president Mohamed Morsi, launching a long-threatened crackdown that left dozens dead and injured.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A propane shortage is affecting millions of Americans this week as brutal cold exposes the vulnerabilities of a network responsible for heating homes, schools and businesses across wide swathes of the United States.

The PowerPot is an ingenious device that allows people to charge a mobile phone while they're cooking — it's targeted at campers. My camping trip this weekend was canceled, so instead of testing the PowerPot over an open fire, I used the kitchen stove in my Brooklyn studio apartment.

For years the only hot water in Zoleka Mali's home came out of a pot on her paraffin stove.But earlier this year, South Africa's power company Eskom installed a solar heater on her roof, giving her a free and endless supply of hot water as part of a campaign that aims to ease pressure on the grid and make solar power more popular."I don't know much about renewable energy though or environmental stuff," said Mali. What she does know is the clear benefits of her water heater, what South Africans call a geyser.

In southeastern Cairo, a city that's home to nearly 18 million people, lies El'Arafa cemetery. It's estimated that anywhere between 500,000 and 1 million Egyptians live in the 4-mile-long cemetery, which has led it to be dubbed the City of the Dead.

Egypt's economy continues its downward spiral, with political divisions and sporadic unrest hampering a change for the better. The government has come up with a package of reforms to help secure a much-needed loan from the International Monetary Fund.
Long lines of cars outside gas stations in Cairo signal the latest shortage to hit post-revolution Egypt: diesel fuel.
One driver says he has spent the past two days looking to fill up his car.
Whether it's a lack of basic ...